Wedding Wire Bride’s Choice Award

One of our first large weddings of the year, Pooja & Vinay’s wedding was in early March of this year at the Ontario Convention Center. With 25 foot ceilings and 20,000 square feet of space to work with, you can only imagine the amazing decor, lighting, & planning that went into this beautiful weekend for Pooja, Vinay, and their Families. Our weekend with them started off with a Garba night, and followed into a Hindu Ceremony the next morning and an elaborate reception that same night! Enjoy these amazing photos taken by Randery Imagery!!

Wedding planning is exhausting. When determining flower arrangements, tablecloths, silverware, wine selections, wedding parties, catering, officiants, venues, music, tuxes, dresses, shoes, hair and makeup, the last thing you want to do is add another item to your to-do list. Between balancing wedding-planning and real life you don’t want to even think about wedding insurance – known formally as special event insurance. Why would you ever need insurance?

Consider the facts: The Knot, the go-to online spot for wedding-planning, says that the average wedding in America costs $27,800. It gets worse. In and around major cities, that number skyrockets to $40,000. And remember, even the larger number is just an average; there are plenty of ways to plan a wedding on a budget. People are dropping major cash to buy the wedding of their dreams. Even if you are 100% certain you and your fiancé are destined to be together, destiny might have other plans. Hesitant brides and grooms aren’t the only reason a wedding might take a nasty turn and require a cancellation. Illness, bad weather and other problems all are capable of stopping a wedding dead in its tracks.

A cancellation due to weather is likely in a variety of climates. Winter weddings might be held off because of a blizzard. Folks in the Midwest would be ill-advised to have a ceremony in the middle of a tornado, and people who schedule beach weddings in the fall need to watch out for tropical storms and hurricanes.

People don’t plan illness and injuries – if they did, no one would ever get sick or hurt on the weekend. Their random nature is why these incidents are unexpected reasons for wedding cancellations. Some couples wouldn’t dream of tying the knot if certain guests weren’t in attendance. If the father of the bride suffers a concussion by slipping in the shower or the groom was injured in a hunting accident during his bachelor party, you might not be able to go through with your ceremony.

Caterers, bands and DJs can both be no-shows. Would you rather postpone your wedding or eat frozen pizzas and dance along to someone’s iPod? Of course that choice is a matter of personal taste, but couples dead set on the wedding of their dreams likely aren’t willing to compromise on food and music.

Canceling a wedding is costly. You don’t just have to rehire several professionals – you also lose your deposits. Usually that money is not refundable. Breathe easy, though. If you purchase wedding insurance, you have the option of getting some of your deposit money back. It’s possible to get a good insurance policy for little more than $100. Some venues actually require a liability insurance purchase before booking. Weddings can be raucous affairs and you’d hate to have to pay for a broken chair or damaged trellis – not to mention the injuries suffered by the perpetrators of the damage.

Extra riders are available for pricey expenses. If you are set on a lavish ceremony and reception, you probably spent big bucks on a, bridesmaids’ dresses groomsmen tuxes & most importantly, the Bride’s wedding dress & the Groom’s tuxedo. All of these items can get damaged before the big day, or the boutique where you made your purchase could go out of business. If you’ve got generous friends and relatives, you might also want to insure your wedding gifts. Lastly, think about your honeymoon. You probably already spent a lot of money on hotel reservations and plane tickets.

While you are loathe to add another task to your long wedding-planning list or to spend more money, don’t skimp on special event insurance. Even if your big day goes exactly as planned, the extra reassurance is worth it. Say “I do” to wedding insurance.

This article was contributed by Carrie Van Brunt-Wiley, Editor of the HomeInsurance.com blog. Carrie has been writing insurance news and consumer information for HomeInsurance.com since 2008. She graduated from the University of North Carolina in Wilmington in 2005 with a B.A. in Professional Writing and Journalism. We’d like to thank Carrie & HomeInsurance.com for theircontribution to Planning Elegance’s Blog!

We are so excited to share with you Beena & Chetan’s Wedding from November of last year. Their beautiful South Indian wedding took place at the Esmeralda Renaissance in Indian Wells, CA. As many of you may or may not know, even within the Hindu religion, there are different types of Hindu weddings that can be performed. South Indian weddings have slight variations from the typical Hindu weddings, but still just as spectacular and elaborate. The weather was perfect, not too hot, not too cold. Since the hotel was so large, we were able to utilize many of their spaces for our different functions. After tea time and cocktail hour, the guests were able to enjoy the reception in the Esmeralda Ballroom. The bride & groom gave a very thoughtful and heartfelt thank you speech and afterwards everyone joined them on the dance floor and partied all night long! We’d like to thank Beena, Chetan, and their families for allowing us to be part of their big day!

There are many types of wedding invitations to choose from. An elegant wedding invitation really embodies what a special event your guests are being invited to. Elegant doesn’t necessarily mean formal but beautifully made wedding invitations evoke a special feeling in the person receiving the invitation. It makes them feel honored to receive something so beautiful and well thought out.
The wedding invitation is a keepsake, so it should look it’s very best whether you make them on your own or custom order them from a noted vendor.
What are some essential and common characteristics you need to achieve an elegantly designed wedding invitation?

Use of color

Font

Letterpress or Digital Print

Paper

Design

These elements combined can create a stylish and beautiful wedding invitation to send out to your family and friends.

Here are some great examples of how these elements create elegant wedding invitations:

Use of color

The use of color in an elegant wedding invitation should be used at a minimum. Even the use of two stand-out colors like purple and gold can turn a nice invitation, stunning. Colors used in an invitation can be run the spectrum of subtle or bold, depending on the person designing it and the theme of the wedding. Use color in the design motif, different fonts and in the paper being used for the wedding invitation to create something spectacular.

Font

Even on the simplest, yet elegant wedding invitations, font can make all the difference in the world. Script fonts or fonts with many swirls seem to conjure elegance but there are other fonts, hundreds in fact, to try out before settling on “the one” or two or three you want. If you choose to go with a script for all words on the invitation, use one that is readable. Some scripts have so many swirls that it makes it hard to read, especially for guests that don’t have the best eye sight (like your sweet grandmother). Use the same font or fonts when designing your wedding invitation, RSVP card, and anything else you will include in the envelope to be consistent. This will create an even design flow in the invitation packet.

Letterpress or Digital Print

Hands down letterpress wedding invitations are the most elegant kind of wedding invitation out there, but it can also be pricey. Letterpress wedding invitations are made with attention to detail because custom plates inked to the desired color are pressed onto each paper invitation. You can admire the skill of letterpress by running your fingertips over a printed wedding invitation. The letters are literally pressed into the paper giving it a permanence. It is an involved process worth every penny.

Digital print invitations are printed from a computer with ease in design, making corrections and quick printing. Which makes it a great invitation option as well if you want to have more freedom in designing your invitations and keep it affordable. Either way, wedding invitations can be elegant with letterpress or digital printing.

Paper

Paper is important when it comes to wedding invitation design. If you take the time to touch different types of paper then you will appreciate texture, color, thickness and even the weight of the paper. There are many different types of paper and if you are going to order custom invitations, when you sit down with a wedding invitations design expert, I’m sure you will go through the various types.

If you are buying something online, most likely they will use pretty good quality, thick and durable paper. Some websites like Wedding Paper Divas also have a way you can try eight samples before making your final pick and this service is for free. That’s a service you should definitely take advantage of if you are ordering invitations online.

Design

How do you convey to your guests the type of wedding they will be attending just by having them look at the invitation alone? Design. It’s all about the design or lack there of that will ultimately prepare your guests for what awaits them at your wedding event.

Some brides get stuck on what design motif to use on their wedding invitations since there are so many options to choose from. The design can be very simple and subtle, or extravagant and detailed. Again, it depends a lot on personality and the wedding theme. An understated initial monogram can look as formal and elegant as any other design. Flowers from the wedding can be used as a print as well as a starfish indicating a beach wedding. A chandelier design can hint at a glamorous wedding theme and a peacock can tell you it’s a peacock themed wedding. One great wedding invitation company is Ceci New York and they take invitation designs to the next level. Look around their website to get a feel for what a cohesive wedding invitation design should look like!

If you need ideas on how to create your dream elegant wedding invitation always do your research. Try searching online for ideas on wedding invitation designs or go to a noted invitation or paper store to look at all the possibilities in the kinds of paper, font and colors you can use. You will find many ideas and hopefully it will help you to create your own elegant wedding invitation.

Everyone knows that the wedding is all about the bride. But let’s not forget about the groom! The groom takes a back seat in wedding planning, mostly because the bride wants to do the planning herself but who can blame her since she has been dreaming about this moment forever! Grooms are just as important as the bride and these days some of them are as excited in planning the wedding as the bride.
Sure, the groom has less of the stress of the planning stages for a wedding, but he is the one who gets to hear his future wife vent, get excited and emotional over the details of the biggest day of their lives. The groom is the man who will be standing next to the bride at the altar so he should look almost as good as she does, right? Absolutely.
Clothing options for grooms used to come very standard: suit or tuxedo. But are there other options out there? And are there ways for the groom to infuse his own style into his own wedding?
Every wedding is different. Depending on what the couple wants for their wedding style, weddings can be formal, semi-formal or not. Either way, there is a perfect style for every groom out there. Here are some different looks for the groom to be.

Classic Tuxedo

For a long time tuxedos were the standard clothing choice for every groom out there. It was mostly due to the fact that most men rented their tux, whereas the bride bought her wedding gown because they want it tailored to her body. It makes sense to rent a tuxedo because not every man attends many formal events in his life that requires a tuxedo unless they are in a wedding. Tuxedos make men look very handsome and dapper. It is perfect for a formal wedding but also can make the groom and groomsmen stand out in an outdoors wedding as well.

To infuse some personality into a traditional tuxedo, add interesting details like unique cuff links.

Stylish Suit

Suits are a very fun alternative to the classic tuxedo. It’s perfect for the groom who thinks tuxedos are restricting and too formal for his sense of style. Grey suits have been very popular in weddings as of late. It’s a great color to help tone done a bright wedding color palette and it is just a cool color to wear. Sand or beige color suits are perfect for summer beach weddings as well. Black is always classic, sheik and makes a man looks slim and trim.

A great thing about suits is that they come in different fabrics and can be paired with different types of vests, jackets, ties and even informal shoes like converse sneakers. Suits are the perfect canvas to start off building a wedding ensemble.

Totally Vested

A trend that has been popular with the groom and groomsmen is wearing a suit without the jacket. It’s a look that includes the pants, dress shirt, tie and vest, but no jacket. This dress option for a groom is a little retro yet still kind of “hip-hop” and rock and roll all at the same time. It makes the groom and his guys look very hip and cool. Since it includes no jacket you can guarantee the groom and groomsmen will feel much cooler indeed if the wedding is set for the peak of summer time heat. The men will definitely appreciate that.

This dressed down version of a suit can work well for many wedding themes including rustic to rock star to modern to bohemian. It’s a really great relaxed look for a bunch of guys that want to ditch going all out formal in a tuxedo. This is the perfect ensemble to infuse individual style from choosing between different types of vest styles (think sweater vest also!), adding some funky socks or a bold color tie. This is one outfit the guys will have fun dressing up in.

Casual Attire

Casual attire for use in a wedding is mostly used in a beach setting when the weather is so warm that it doesn’t make sense at all for the groom and his groomsmen to wear a jacket or tuxedo. Casual can mean many things to various men. Some may want their wedding day ensemble to consist of a white button down short sleeve shirt, khaki pants and flip-flops. Men, please check with your wife-to-be if this is okay, because you still have to match what she is wearing.

A great beach side wedding ensemble can still involve the use of proper shoes but if you are going for the whole “toes-in-sand” vibe, then go barefoot if that’s what both you and the bride want. Some grooms wear a sandy or tan colored pant with jacket and white button down long sleeve shirt. While his groomsmen don something more casual with a short sleeve shirt, but same color pants as the groom. This is a great easy look for a beach wedding and a no fuss dress option.

Flowers are a large part of wedding décor. Flower bouquets grace tables, arches, pews, aisles and even the hands of the most important person there, the beautiful bride.
Choosing what flowers to use in a bridal bouquet can be difficult if you don’t know anything about flowers. This is where doing your research by use of the Internet and magazine clippings really come through. Also meetings with the floral vendor you will be using for your wedding help a great deal.
There are many options of flowers to choose from when it comes to decorating for a wedding held in the spring. Some popular blooms used in the spring are calla lilies, tulips, peonies, and of course roses.
Colors used in a spring wedding range from pastel colors to vibrant tones. Depending on the color and theme of a wedding, it’s important to pick the right flowers and to stay within your budget since flowers can get expensive.
How do you go about picking the flowers you want for your bridal bouquet? Start with looking at magazine photos or do a search on the Internet on bridal bouquets. If you already have a favorite type of flower then start there. Having a favorite color or a certain theme also narrows down the search.
It is also a smart idea to stick with a simple bridal bouquet design since you don’t want it to take away from the beauty of the bride. The bridal bouquet should enhance a bride’s beauty, not overshadow it.
Here are some gorgeous spring wedding bouquet ideas.

Perfect Pastel

A light pastel floral palette is feminine, understated yet elegant and quite tied into the spring colors. The palette would include different shades of pinks, white, gray, and even a little yellow and green. The colors are perfect spring bridal bouquet.

Try adding different flowers like anemones, with its dramatic black eye center surrounded by a bevy of white petals. It adds something bold to the look of an all-pastel delicate bouquet.

White Out Bouquet

An all white bouquet is a true classic and compliments a bride very well without overshadowing her at all. Bridal bouquets can be monochromatic in color and in flower as well. Depending on how you want your bouquet to look like, choose your flowers accordingly. For a bouquet that is full and loose but round in shape, try a bouquet of peonies or gardenias. For something that is round but with a tighter fit all over try roses not quite in bloom. Texture is important in a bouquet that is the same color, so play with different types of flowers and fillers to get the perfect bouquet shape and design.

Pop of Color

What is the definition of spring if it doesn’t include a burst of color? Spring is when the flowers bloom with life. Color is essential! If winter is represented by white and gray then spring is the season where color comes to the surface again, when flowers that withered come to life once more. A bright, bold colorful bridal bouquet may just be the thing to take your wedding ensemble to the next level. Choose colors from your wedding décor palette or go all out with bright pinks, yellows, greens, orange and red.

Wildflowers

A loose bouquet of wildflowers seems like something simple but it’s still a very beautiful choice for a bouquet especially for a rustic or bohemian themed wedding. A bouquet of wildflowers should look like it was picked straight from the ground and put together without a thought or design to it. Imagine yourself walking in a meadow picking flowers and tying them together with a piece or ribbon or twine, that’s the feeling or look one tries to embody when creating a bridal bouquet of wildflowers.

The shape of a bridal bouquet isn’t the first thing a bride thinks about. Yet, in the first meeting with your floral vendor, you may get asked what shape you want the bouquet to look like. What does shape have to do with flowers? Think about your bridal ensemble and the way your dress fits you and falls to the grown. There is a shape to every dress, as there is definitely a shape to bridal bouquets. Here are some different types of bouquet shapes:

The Posey

Round, small and easily held in one hand. It can be loose, less structured and hand tied. The other kind of Posey bouquet is structured with the stems removed and replaced with wire.

Presentation

this is a bouquet of long stemmed flowers and the bride carries it cradled in her arm. This is very popular with the use of long stemmed calla lilies.

Composite Flower Bouquet

this style consists of flower petals being wired together to look like one big flower. Since this style is time consuming, it can be pricey.

Cascading Bouquet

the flowers in this bouquet cascades in the front like a teardrop. It’s a fairly large bouquet.

Wreath Bouquet

the name doesn’t quite describe the look of this bouquet. It’s basically a loose hand-tied bouquet, perfect for wildflowers.

The Springtime Blues

The addition of blue flowers in a bridal bouquet is whimsical, fun, and calming which is perfect for a spring wedding bouquet. Blue flowers look fabulous with pink, yellow, white and other color flowers that at first thought wouldn’t seem right if they were placed together.

Bridal bouquets come in different shapes like bridal dresses come in different shapes as well. But don’t forget that your bridesmaids come in different shapes and sizes as well so when choosing their bouquets, choose accordingly and pick one shaped that could really flatter everyone.

Movies are very influential and inspiring so why wouldn’t they be used for a wedding theme as well? Most movie-inspired themed weddings come after a huge hit at the box office such as those that have recently graced the screen like the Twilight series. Every Bella and Edward fan was waiting for the huge wedding scene, which lived up to the romance conveyed between the two characters.
Basing a wedding on a movie can have its challenges. Sometimes couples that are planning their wedding based on a movie can take small elements from a movie such as a color scheme or a time period and build on those items.
Picking a movie to base your wedding design on is a chance to really infuse your creativity. Your guests will appreciate the details you put in it. This is also a personal statement about yourself or you two as a couple, so if a movie inspired themed wedding is what you want, go for it!
Here are some romantic and inspiring movies that people have based their wedding designs on:

Hunger Games Inspired Wedding

There was almost nothing romantic visually about the first movie of the Hunger Games Trilogy but there are fantastic design components you can still use in a wedding. Some things that can be incorporated into a Hunger Games inspired wedding is the rustic, woodsy area the main character, Katniss, is from. Try an outdoor wedding surrounded by trees. For a wedding color palette think white, gray and brown tones. For the bride’s hairstyle, you can take inspiration from the braid that Katniss wears in the movie. Also, don’t forget the mockingjay bird, which is an important symbol in the movie. Try using feathers in the centerpiece or bouquet.

Alice in Wonderland Inspired Wedding

Clearly this is not a romantic movie but movies with no romance in them can be inspirational too. It’s all about design with this story and movie. Alice in Wonderland is all about whimsical fun and vibrant colors. A great part of the movie and story is the tea party and you can include floral patterned cups or chargers (plates) to the wedding reception tables. Try table numbers with locks or keys on them or even little potion bottles. This is a very inspirational movie to use as a wedding theme but try not to take each thing so seriously and go overboard in design. Pick key pieces to base your wedding design on and go from there.

Twilight Inspired Wedding

The Twilight book and movie series took over the hearts of young girls and women alike in this tale about a human girl falling in love with a vampire boy. Throw in a werewolf in the love triangle and you’ve got a story that rivals the best soap operas! The wedding scene of Bella and Edward, which took place in the woods, is very romantic and befitting their love story.

Most people that think “vampire” conjures up the color red, which was used in a subtle yet dominant color on the book covers as well. But in the actual movie the color palette of Bella and Edwards wedding was a combination of brown, white, dark purple (almost eggplant). It’s a very royal color scheme but in their rustic type wedding it was more intimate than regal. Other couples have used the green apple color in their Twilight inspired weddings as well.

Like the movie, brides can imitate Bella’s bridal gown, which was long sleeved, slim lined, with an intricate lacy and sheer back. The movie takes place in Oregon so think greenery and the woods. Use string of light to decorate the outdoor space. One thing that really stood out in the ceremony scene is the garland of white flowers streaming down from the trees, which was stunning.

Pride and Prejudice Inspired Wedding

The Pride and Prejudice movie starring Keira Knightley is a romantic time period piece. It is a beautifully made movie. A great design element to include in a wedding inspired by this movie and story is the written word, especially since Pride and Prejudice is such a famous classic book. Use vintage books as centerpieces or make the invitation with the font representing script written by ink and a feather quill.

Pieces to include in a Pride and Prejudice inspired wedding are ribbons, candles, and chandeliers. For clothing, women can wear empire waist dresses and men can wear coats. It would be lovely to have a string quartet play at the ceremony as well.

500 Days of Summer Inspired Wedding

The movie, 500 Days of Summer, is a tale about a boy and a girl who fall in love but the girl falls out of love later on. It’s more of a heartbreaker movie than a romantic one but this movie has fantastic design ideas that would be perfect for a modern yet vintage wedding theme.

The color palette from this movie is a pale blue and gray. Summer, the female love interest, wears 1950’s inspired clothing. She’s beautiful and confident in a quirky and conservative way. The bride and bridesmaids can look for dresses that has the same style.

Tom, the main character, is an inspiring architect, and architecture plays a big part in the movie. A fun way to use the modern element of architecture in the wedding design is using a city skyline motif on the invitations. Another idea is to have a roof top wedding reception with the city skyline as a backdrop.

Movies can be helpful to building a wedding theme. Don’t forget to add your personal touches in the creativity of your design scheme and you should have a wedding that will be a beautiful nod to the movie you adore.

South Asian weddings are spectacular events filled with customs, traditions, attention to detail and lots and lots of color. Design is a very important part of a South Asian wedding from the elaborate details on a piece of fabric to the gorgeous swirls of pattern on the bride’s mehndi. Mehndi is the henna that is applied to the bride’s arms, hands, legs and feet to complete her bridal ensemble. Mehndi consists of detailed images such as flowers, paisley and other symbols that hold meaning in South Asian history.
Another beautiful way to celebrate the intricate designs of mehndi besides having it painted on a bride’s hands and legs is to incorporate it into the desserts at the wedding. Mehndi can be decorated onto cookies, cupcakes and also the wedding cake. The cookies and cupcakes can be available at the mehndi party as well, which is held a few days before the wedding.
Wedding cakes that have been decorated with mehndi designs are really beautiful. Not only is the South Asian culture represented in the mehndi but also it’s lovely to have it on display in a different way as well.
Here are some mehndi inspired wedding desserts!

Cookies

Cookies with mehndi lace designs on them would make adorable wedding favors. They would also be just as perfect for the wedding guests to grab from the dessert table. Choose vibrant background colors for the cookies so that the mehndi design can show more clearly. Go for the colors of your wedding or choose a bouquet of other colors.

Mini Cakes

Mini mehndi cakes are absolutely gorgeous and hopefully they taste as amazing as they look! Your guests will be amazed with the details on the cakes. Once more these cakes can be packaged individually to be given away to wedding guests as wedding favors. Or guests can admire them at the dessert table. But who will want to ruin these miniature beauties?
Depending on how detailed you want your mini cakes, make sure you find a baker who is up to the challenge and skilled in making the intricate mehndi icing designs.

Cupcakes

Cupcakes are still popular to have at a wedding. They are small, easy to eat and delicious. To include a mehndi design on the cupcake, there needs to be a flat surface atop the cupcake for the design to be placed on. One way is to flatten the frosting when it is applied. The other is to place a flat piece atop the frosting that will be decorated with the mehndi design. Pick contrasting colors so that the design can really stand out for your guests to appreciate.

Wedding Cake

The ultimate way to have mehndi represented in the wedding desserts is on the wedding cake itself! Talk about stunning. When the cake is created in the vibrant colors most South Asian weddings are associated with, the results can literally take one’s breath away. Reds, gold, purple, orange, pinks and turquoise blues: colors are very important in South Asian weddings. It seems that there is no color limit and usually a combination of them are used in a South Asian wedding. The wedding cake should always represent the wedding couples’ style and colors.

When booking a cake vendor always have a consultation. You need to know if the cake vendor can actually do the work required to create a mehndi inspired wedding cake. Bring in photos that inspire you to share with your cake vendor so you are on the same page on which direction you want to take with the cake design. Also a taste test is very important! You may not like the use of fondant, which is used heavily in cake design, and may need an alternative. Discuss these issues with your vendor.
Also, though the use of bright colors is sure to wow your weddings guests, if you don’t want to go over board with it, remember that you can always go for a neutral palette. It is always easy to add color to the cake where you think it needs it. But a less colorful cake doesn’t mean it won’t be as beautiful. Add gold to make a simple cake look more regal.
The same goes for the mehndi design on the cake. The mehndi doesn’t have to cover the whole cake if it doesn’t look right to you. Today, brides are choosing simpler mehndi designs to paint onto their body parts, so it is okay to do that with the cake. Space out the designs and add modern embellishments to the wedding cake. Talk with your cake vendor to create the most beautiful mehndi inspired cake for your special day.

A wedding celebration is the perfect way to honor the revered tradition of mehndi. Whether the designs are painstakingly applied carefully on the bride’s body or on a cake, either way, it is truly amazing. Mehndi is a unique and beautiful custom that makes South Asian weddings really special.

Although, summer weddings are very popular, there is something about a winter wedding that is so beautiful! We were so lucky to get to be a part of Mariam & Umer’s wedding events beginning with their Mehndi Party. This fun filled night took place at the Palo Verde Club House in Alpine, CA. The clubhouse overlooks the gorgeous Palo Verde Lake and has an amazing view of the mountains of the Cleveland National Forest. The venue is very secluded from everything, which created a very intimate event for family and friends. The night started off with delicious food continued by plenty of performances from Mariam and Umer’s family members, and ended with a crazy dance party! We had such a great time planning this event we couldn’t wait for the wedding day!

On the morning of their wedding, the weather forecast told us that there would be a high chance of rain that day. However, when we looked outside it was bright and sunny,but we didn’t want to take our chances and we made the decision to move the ceremony indoors. Well, when the ceremony began, like clock-work, it began to POUR! All of us were so happy we changed the ceremony location because everyone would have been soaked! Nonetheless, this wedding was amazing. The ceremony and lunch took place at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines in San Diego, CA. After the ceremony, the guests headed over to the ballroom that was themed as an enchanted forest. The centerpieces included real fruits that the guests could eat and take home! The night was followed by performances and speeches that made all of the guests laugh and smile. We are so happy we were able to be part of these wonderful wedding events with Mariam, Umer and both their families!

After the wedding guests have gone home and the excitement of the wedding nights’ activities have ended, it’s now time for the newly wedded couple to finally be alone. Many couples dream of the wedding night and have high expectations about it being fabulous, romantic and it being the most connected alone time they will have with their new spouse.
How do you do that when the stress of planning a wedding comes to a head on the wedding day? What do you do when you are tired from dancing all night? What can you do to spice up the bedroom on the night you are finally a married couple?
Here are some great wedding night games to add a little spice to the night!

Menu of Delight

One thing that happens at a wedding reception is that the bride and groom never get enough time to eat. If you are preparing for the hotel staff to bring you a late night meal to your hotel room on the wedding night, add a few tasty desserts onto the menu as well. Think of goodies to add to the menu such as: honeys, chocolate, whip cream and definitely strawberries. The wedded couple can take turns blind folding each other and feeding one another different things. But to make it interesting, if the recipient guesses the food wrong the penalty can be a kiss or a massage. This is a great way to start off a romantic night!

Wife Playing Dress Up

Okay, women love to play dress up and have themselves a fashion show so why not put on a show for your new husband? Grab a few of those sexy lingerie pieces that you got from your bachelorette party (because you know you have many of them), place them in separate boxes with a different color bow on them, and then put them on the bed. Tell your new hubby he gets to pick a box and whatever is in it, you’ll put in on for him that night. It will get both of you excited and you get to put your pretty lace and satin gifts to use!

This is a perfect idea for the honeymoon as well. Let your husband choose a box each night for a different sexy outfit to surprise him with.

Ignite the Senses

A great way to stimulate your partner is through the five senses: taste, touch, seeing, hearing and smelling. One way to do that is get a love play kit that contains something that will heighten all the senses. Some of these kits include items like flavored massage oil, a feather, edible body sprinkles, a candle to set the mood and various items to add spice to any night. To use the items and make it into a fun game that can relax both parties they can do a question and answer kind of game such as “What’s My Favorite?” You can assume to know everything about your new spouse but for a wrong answer, the consequence can be something sexy. Some examples for a punishment are: to be tickled by a feather, have kisses placed on your most ticklish spot, getting a massage with some flavored oil or be subject to a taste test! There may be a lot of laughing and giggles but laughter is always a good sign of things to come.

Sexy Hide and Seek

It’s a bit thrilling to be found so why not play a round of naughty hide and seek? One person hides and maybe they can leave a trail of clothing as a hint to where they may be hiding. When the person is found, well, there’s no telling what that will lead to! Once again you can impose a penalty of kisses, tickles or something else. Hopefully being found in a game of hide and seek can lead to some sweet kisses and straight on to the bedroom.

Card Games

Another way to have some fun during the wedding night is to have a card game. But not just any card game. A deck of naughty cards can just be the ticket for some fun, relaxation and romantic notions. You can use plain playing cards and assign a suit a specific task, such as diamonds equal a kiss, spades may equal a massage and so forth. So if you get the nine of diamonds, then you get nine kisses, which isn’t a bad way to start off the night of love at all! They also sell naughty cards with specific tasks written them on them as well, and you can find these cards at a novelty or adult store. Better yet, make your own cards of things you want to happen on your wedding night!

Many of these wedding night games can be used for so many other nights to come during the marriage. It’s great to always keep the love life fresh, fun and spicy so why not play a game or two? It doesn’t hurt and both parties end up satisfied!

Mehndi, also known as “henna tattoo” on the mainstream level is the ceremonial art form of the application of a paste onto the skin for a temporary skin decoration. It is not a tattoo as it eventually disappears from the skin. Mehndi originated centuries ago in South Asia and is a tradition and art form that has persisted through time. This is a testimony to its symbol and beauty.
For brides and families of South Asian, Middle Eastern and even African descent, bridal mehndi is still a big part of pre-wedding traditions. The women of the family designate a night to assemble and have mehndi applied to their hands and feet before the big wedding day. A professional mehndi artist applies the intricate designs with henna paste made of turmeric onto the bride’s hands, arms, feet and legs. Why these particular areas of the body? Because it is where the body has less pigment and the henna will show very well. In some cultures it is applied on the face as well.
What is the purpose of a bride decorated with mehndi?
It is supposed to represent the strength of the bride’s marriage. Also the deeper the color of the henna signifies the amount of love she is about to receive from her groom and vice versa, which is a really romantic notion.
Traditionally, in the design itself will be the initials or name of the groom. This was essentially put there to be an icebreaker between the engaged couple. Back then and even still marriages used to be arranged by the parents and the couple had never met until the wedding day. The name finding was a game that helped the couple get to know each other.
Receiving mehndi is a time-honored tradition. A bride without mehndi will mean her beauty is incomplete and no bride should feel incomplete!
There isn’t one type of mehndi design but a few popular styles. Some designs are exclusively designed for the bride. The different styles come from locations and regions of various countries, and one design is not predominant. Mehndi is used in the Middle East, Asia and Africa so it’s no wonder there can be such a variance of design styles.

Here are some different bridal mehndi styles:

Arabic Mehndi

Arabic mehndi designs leave more skin showing. It is less detailed than Indian mehndi patterns. They consist mostly of large floral designs on the palm and the images are spaced far apart. Many brides are attracted to this design for it’s simplicity.

Rajasthani Mehndi/Indian Mehndi Style

Rajasthan is the largest state in India and is known as “the land of kings”. Rajasthani mehndi refers to this area of India and the type of henna that grows there, making the henna pigment quite dark. A popular design in Rajasthani mehndi is the “courtyard” which is a detailed band that goes around the wrists, arms, legs or ankles to represent marital unity. Other popular symbols are waves, dicing games and fans. Like most Indian mehndi designs it also includes paisley, leaves and flower shapes but Rajasthani mehndi also includes symbols of the particular region as well. It is a difficult art form as it is full coverage from the elbow to fingertips but it is very popular.

Because this mehndi is full coverage always beware of the time it takes to have it applied. Plan your bridal mehndi party to allow for time to apply the mehndi and for the henna color to take root and show at its best.

African Mehndi Style

The African mehndi is similar to the Arabic design where there is more skin revealed as compared to intricate Indian mehndi designs. African mehndi consists of more geometric shapes. These shapes include lines, dots, and squares.

Pakistani Mehndi Designs

Pakistani mehndi designs usually combine Indian and Arabic styles together. The designs include popular Arabic mehndi designs like flowers, leaves, curves and the intricate detailed application of Indian mehndi. The design covers the space between the elbows to the fingertips, so it is quite detailed work.

The tradition of having a bridal mehndi applied to the bride and the women in her family will continue for generations to come. Yet, fashion, like the times, will also change. A modern way mehndi has been enhanced is through the use of different colors, crystals, stones and glitter. The different enhancements really give a bride a unique mehndi to showcase to her groom and wedding guests.

Adding colors in a mehndi design to match the wedding dress is a great touch. When the mehndi design is cohesive with the whole wedding attire it really looks like an accessory custom made for the beautiful bride.

If the crystals on the dress and the jewels on a bride isn’t enough then adding glitter and stones to a bride’s mehndi will top it all off! Glitter and stones add a new dimension to a traditional custom and it’s definitely an option to consider.

With modern times brides tend to keep their mehndi simple and not as elaborate and concentrated as traditional styles from days of old. No matter the style a traditional mehndi steeped in historic tradition is still as beautiful as a modern mehndi design enhanced with glitter and crystals. What is important is that the bride honors the traditions of her culture and of the women that came before her who decorated themselves in hopes of deep love and adoration from their future spouse. The bride should feel complete and love the mehndi design she chooses to adorn her body with.
Though centuries have passed and styles have changed, there is one thing constant about the tradition of a bride having mehndi applied to her body and it’s all about love.

Spring is all about renewal, the world starts coming alive after months of barren trees, ice and snow. It’s about starting over again. Weather in the spring isn’t as constant as the summer months but the transition from winter to spring is always a bit tumultuous as the sun melts snow and the streams run deep again.
Springtime is also one of the ideal times to get married. Winter can give you a chance to do the bulk of the heavy wedding planning. Then as the flowers start to bloom, and the birds start chirping again, love and weddings fill the air! A marriage in the spring is the perfect way for two people to start their lives together.
Wedding colors in the spring usually consists of pastels ranging from light cherry blossom pinks to lavender shades of purple. Spring is about romance and that’s the best theme for a spring wedding for sure. But let’s take a look at other ideas that make a great springtime wedding.

Garden Wedding

Another romantic spring wedding idea is a garden wedding theme. Garden weddings should be held in the later months of spring when the weather is less likely to bring rain to ruin the wedding day. The wonderful things about a garden wedding theme are the props you can use to decorate the space and the flowers. Gardens in general have flowers so go for different arrangements to mix and match it up when creating your centerpieces. Also try benches for guests to sit on at the ceremony or for the reception lounge. Find a garden space for the ceremony and reception to do less work in decorating. Use what nature already has created for you. There are many ideas you can use for a garden wedding to make your wedding unique!

Butterflies

Speaking of delicate, romantic and spring, why not butterflies? Now don’t think your whole wedding has to bombarded with butterfly designs but a few elements about butterflies could really work wonders. If you already love butterflies, this is the theme for you. If you like them but aren’t sure how to incorporate them without looking cheesy think about the butterfly and do your research about them. Study the different colors on their wings and the patterns that catch your eye. Take a look at the different types of butterflies and which one stands out to you. Use these elements on your invitations and even for the cake decorations. If you are having a wedding reception in an outdoor tent, hang a butterfly chandelier creation. This wedding theme will have everyone’s hearts aflutter.

Whimsical Fun

A fun spring wedding idea is to add whimsical elements. Go for bold colors instead of pastels. Try a lush bouquet of pinks and greens and turquoise for something different. Play with linens with patterns or elaborate inlays. Whimsy means having an element of the unusual in the design of the wedding, something out of the box that will make your guests smile and look around in wonder.

Birds

What can be sweeter than two lovebirds getting married? Well, a wedding theme based on the lovely flying creatures. Birds can be cute but they can also be as wild as nature, like the raven. There are different ways to incorporate birds into the wedding design. For a vintage look use bird cages in the décor, whether on the tabletops or hanging overhead. Birdcage veils add drama, glamour and some mystery to a bride’s ensemble. Also use feathers and branches, which are items related to birds if you don’t want to use the look of an actual bird. Birdseed can be use for tossing after the ceremony has ended and the married couple leaves the altar. There are so many ideas with this theme it’s hard to go wrong. This theme is wonderful for a spring wedding!

Paris in the Spring

There is nothing more romantic than Paris. Paris and it’s beautiful bridges, language, buildings, food, people and just the perfect way the sunlight streams into the city is all about romance. Paris in the spring is something special. This wedding theme works in every way from a romantic ball gown, delicate macarons for a dessert table and a gorgeous color palette to work with. Don’t be afraid to throw in an Eiffel Tower decoration into the wedding design also.

Marie Antoinette Themed Soiree

To continue in the French theme, another wedding theme that works well with the pastel spring color palette is one inspired by Marie Antoinette. The palace of Versailles is stunning and opulent in all its glory with outlandish manicured gardens, elaborate water fountains and painted ceilings. They even have the infamous hall of mirrors, which King Louis XIV used just to admire himself. Extravagant? Quite.

This theme is uber-feminine in color and swaths of fabric. Try mini chandeliers to light an outdoor tent reception or crystals dripping from tall centerpieces lush with an abundance of flowers. Use colors like pink, lavender, cream, light-blues and especially gold. “Let them eat cake” at a dessert table filled with cupcakes, cakes and a tower of macarons. Think extravagance from choosing the wedding dress down to picking the table napkin and you are sure to have a stunner with this wedding theme idea!

The brides are always the center of attention when planning a wedding and especially on the wedding day itself but we can’t forget the man who made her a bride: the groom. Grooms usually take a backseat when it comes to wedding planning. They don’t generally have as many parties to attend, for example, the bride has a bridal shower and a bachelorette party.
The groom does get to pick his best man and groomsmen. He at least gets to attend one fun party in his honor, the bachelor party, to celebrate his last days of singlehood. To thank his groomsmen the groom will eventually have to purchase gifts for them. So what are some appropriate gifts for groomsmen?
Groomsmen gifts should be meaningful. The men should also be able to use the gift more than once. It would be a great thing for the men to be able to look at the gift in the future and remember the day he stood there by the groom’s side and all the fun he had on his friend’s big day.
The perfect gift is something every groomsmen can appreciate and will actually like despite their different personalities. Buying something that everyone will like is difficult to do. If it’s hard to choose then traditional and standard gifts will suffice.

Here are some tried and true groomsmen gift ideas:

Flask

Giving a flask as a groomsmen gift is a very popular thing to do. If they don’t drink alcohol they can always keep it as a memento to remember the wedding by. To personalize the gift, the flask can be engraved with the groomsmen names, nickname or initials. Another trend is to get flasks with fun different designs on them like a mustache. Whichever way it is presented a flask is a timeless groomsmen gift.

Beer Bottle Opener

Going with the drink theme, how about some beer bottle openers personalized with a message or the date of the wedding. As a key chain, groomsmen will always have them on hand. It’s small and affordable yet meaningful and useful, which makes it the perfect gift for the groomsmen and they may need it to open some bottles on the wedding day!

Favorite Drink

Speaking of drinking and flasks, another easy gift to give is a bottle of the groom’s favorite drink or the drink that means something between the groom and groomsmen. Place it in a box and add a thank you note or a note with a funny memory you remember with the person, just to get a few laughs out of the gift giving. This is definitely a gift that will get more than a single use.

If the thought of one gift seems too little, create a gift box grouping a couple of these items together. Add the flask and drink together, or the beer bottle opener and a bottle of beer.

Money Clip

Another easy and classic gift to give a groomsmen is a money clip. They come in various materials like leather or different metals. Money clips can be personalized with engraving.

Cufflinks

Cufflinks are another popular groomsmen gift. The groomsmen can wear them on the wedding day and any day after which make it a great, classic gift. There are many different designs to choose when buying cufflinks so pick something unique and meaningful.

Duffle Bag

Some men don’t like to drink and so a flask, mug or bottle of alcohol will not cut it. But most men do need a duffle bag for travel or for the gym, so a bag would make a great gift. The bags can be given to the groomsmen before an out of town trip for a bachelor’s party. Other things can be added to the bag as well, like a funny t-shirt saying “Best Man” and so forth. Add a monogram on the bag to give it a personal touch.

Shaving Kit or Dopp Kit

Most men need to shave so a shaving kit gift is the perfect gift for groomsmen. Look for one that has a classic look to it and includes a shaving brush. To get more use out of a shaving kit, look for one that is useful for travel like a Dopp kit, which hold men’s toiletries especially when they are traveling. Dopp kits can be personalized and groomsmen will appreciate such a useful gift.

The standard gifts can seem a little tiring, so look outside the box for unique gift ideas. Like these:

Cap Catcher

groomsmen will appreciate having a place to hang their caps instead of having them lay around the house.

Cooler Chairs

a cooler under the chair? How sweet! This is perfect for tailgating, camping, a beach day with the family or the guys.

Poker Set

perfect for poker night with the guys and since everyone will have one with this gift set, it’ll be more convenient.

The wedding dress takes center stage from the moment you buy it to the day you put in on to wear in front of your wedding guests. That’s why most brides spend so much time and effort trying to find the right one. The right dress will make the bride wearing it will look extra fabulous.
Along with the dress there are other pieces needed to complete the bridal look. Accessories like earrings, a necklace and maybe even a headpiece can really bring the bridal look together.
Accessories are also important if you had to curb your budget on the wedding gown, since not everyone has thousands of dollars to spend. Accessories can really make a bride shine.

Earrings

Earrings on any woman, wedding day or not, should really compliment the whole outfit but reflect the wearers’ style and personality. Weddings are all about style so it’s important to pick the right earrings. Diamond or pearl studs are a simple yet elegant choice. If you want to make a real statement, go for something bold, like glitzy and sparkly chandelier earrings or a drop made of crystals.

Necklaces

Some wedding dresses do not need much jewelry to compliment it and a necklace is something one can do without if the dress has many embellishments on the top of the bodice. The décolletage on some dresses begs for no necklace. There are brides that follow the less is more concept and those that think the opposite but it all comes down again to the bride’s personality and sense of style. Necklaces, like earrings can be simple and elegant or extravagant and bold.

Bracelet

The hands are very important in a wedding. It gets adorned with a wedding ring, the hands hold a bouquet, and they will be photographed a lot during the wedding day. As with all kinds of jewelry, there are a different variety of bracelets out there. Choose with care and wear what you love.

Tiara

Tiaras are fit for modern day princesses. Some brides know with no doubt that they will be wearing a tiara on their head. Other brides know without a doubt that they aren’t the type to wear one. The wedding is considered to be the most special day in a girl’s life, so any bride should at least try a tiara on while dress shopping. The dress consultant may suggest it anyway and if not, your girlfriends will beg you to put one on, just to fulfill their fantasy of wearing one some day. Also if you don’t want to buy one, tiaras can be rented.

When going to your hair consultation, bring your tiara. Your wedding day hair stylist will need to find the perfect hairstyle to accommodate a tiara (and maybe a veil) on your head without falling. If you are wearing a veil, bring that as well.

Hair Piece

If you don’t want a tiara, there are other alternatives. A hairpiece can range from feathers, a head and covered in rhinestones, or flowers. There are hairpins that are studded with rhinestones and pearls if you want to go simple. The thing you have to do is do your research online or when you are out wedding dress shopping.

Just like the tiara, be sure to bring your hairpiece to your hair consultation. If you didn’t plan on wearing one, your hair stylist may have some readily available for you to try.

Belt or Sash

The belt or sash isn’t a necessity but it’s an affordable way to add some sparkle to a plain wedding dress. It can add just a slight pop of color to an all white dress. A belt or sash can make an otherwise boring dress really spectacular. If you opted for a dress without crystals because the option to have it hand sewn into the dress wasn’t economical then a belt or sash sewn with crystals may just do the trick. Once again, check to see if the piece can be rented instead of purchased.

To keep within budget when shopping for bridal accessories, try and look for jewelry sets that are available at most wedding dress stores. Ask to look for sets that are rentals instead of for purchase, especially if you know you’ll never wear that tiara again.
Also, you may be getting jewelry from a grandmother or mother and if it’s in great condition and fits your wedding dress style, consider including it among your bridal accessories, for the something old or something borrowed, as the saying goes. Your fiancé may want to purchase jewelry set as your wedding gift as well, so keep that in mind and maybe drop some big hints of what you would like to wear on your wedding day.
Although lots of rhinestones and crystals would look fantastic on you, your best accessory will be that amazing smile you wear on your special day. So practice smiling because you’ll be doing a lot when the big day arrives!

Exotic locales, amazing sunsets and perfect weather: these are some of the elements that couples look for when choosing to plan a destination wedding. Who can blame them? Destination weddings are still a popular option for wedding couples. The lure of a different place other than home can be the setting for the most magical week or weekend of your life. If you were going to shell out money for an amazing event like a wedding, then why not do it in the place of your dreams?
Here are some of the top places in the world to get married:

Hawaii

Hawaii is always a popular wedding place because of its weather, which never gets colder than 77 degrees and never hotter than 90 degrees. Any time of the year is perfect for a wedding in Hawaii and the sunsets are very spectacular. Most people that get married in Hawaii come for the gorgeous beaches, which make for some picture perfect wedding scenery. There are many islands to choose from also: Maui, Kauai, Lanai, Oahu and the Big Island (Hawaii). All major hotels in Hawaii offer wedding planning services but be wary about any summer wedding dates you are planning because popular hotels or wedding venues book up fast, so book venues at least a year in advance.

Some popular venues on Oahu are Lanikuhonua, Loulu Palm Estate, or Oasis World Estate. A gorgeous location on Maui if you do not want the beach wedding is Haiku Mills.

Mexico

If having a destination wedding in Hawaii is out of your budget, Mexico is a budget planners delight! They have beautiful coastlines with powder white sand and baby blue ocean water for the backdrop and it’s Mexico, a great place to celebrate and have a party with friends and family. If having a beach wedding is not something you want to do, Mexico has beautiful old churches that would make fantastic locations for a wedding as well.

For family and friends travelling to help celebrate your wedding, plan a welcome gift bag for all the guests when they arrive to your destination wedding. The bag can contain goodies from Mexico or some essentials for a beach wedding like travel sized lotions or sunscreen.

Popular wedding places in Mexico include: Cabo San Lucas, Acapulco and Cancun.

Italy

Italy is one of the most romantic places on earth, so it makes it the perfect place to get married. The choices of places to get married in Italy are endless also with cities like Rome, Florence, Venice and Tuscany topping the list. There are also beautiful locations near the water like Lake Como on the Amalfi coast. There are different types of venues to choose from such as castles, gardens, or villas. Not only does Italy have a bevy of gorgeous places to choose from, the food there is top notch. You can have the wedding of your dreams in Italy.

France

Ever have a dream of standing under the Eiffel tower in a wedding dress? A destination wedding in France would be just the ticket. France is beautiful and it is the perfect place for a destination wedding. There are many locations to pick from when having a wedding in France. The most popular place in France to get married would be Paris, rightly coined the city of lights or the city of love. For a more rustic wedding feel have the ceremony at a chateau or French countryside, of which you can find many of in France.

Popular places in France to get married: Loire Valley, Paris, Provence, Cannes, and The French Riviera.

While in the country or place of your destination wedding, set up some fun activities the guests can do together to get to know each other or their surroundings like a wine tasting.

Greece

There is something pristine about Santorini, Greece with it’s white painted buildings and blue rooftops. The island is surrounded by the blue-jeweled tones of the Aegean Sea making it an exotic locale for a destination wedding. Imagine saying your vows atop the island with the perfect sunset view. You will feel on top of the world.

Add some local flavor to the wedding reception menu by adding delicacies such as Greek wedding cookies for your guests to try and indulge in.

Keep in mind, because destination weddings require travel, your wedding party will be small. So if you are planning a large destination wedding, think about the cost and who of your guests can actually afford to travel there. It might be easier on everyone to have the destination wedding someplace closer than you planned. Also, consider the time spent with having a destination wedding. Guests need to spend money for a place to stay so try and find discounted group rates at the hotel you are planning to stay at to help your guests out. They also have to take time off of work, so for many of them this may be the one vacation they had planned on all year! Help them by making it worth their while.

Set up a wedding website where you can inform your guests on room rates, activities and ways of transportation to get to the destination wedding. Get a great wedding planner to help you plan the wedding, preferably someone who has experience planning destination weddings.

A great thing about destination weddings is that you don’t have to travel anywhere for a honeymoon since you are already in the place of your dreams, extend your stay and have your honeymoon there. Instead of making if your dream wedding day, make it your dream wedding week!

If you have recently become a bride, let’s face it, you will be showered with gifts! Which is a really great thing. It’s an awesome perk about getting married. Your boyfriend gifts you with a proposal and an engagement ring. Then comes the bridal shower, bachelorette party and it doesn’t stop there. On the wedding day you get a gift from your fiancé once more and then of course the wedding gifts from the wedding guests.
But what about the groom?
Yes, he gets gifts too and one of them, most times, is an engagement gift. It’s a way to tell him thank you and I love you because he did give you the ring of your dreams (or tried very hard to) and chose you to be his lifelong partner. So what do you get your future husband? Shopping for a man is not the easiest thing to do, but if you know your future husband well enough (and you should), it helps to narrow down the options out there.
Here is a list of gifts you can get for your husband to be.

Watch

A watch is a standard, classic, foolproof gift for a man. Men don’t tend to wear much jewelry except for a ring and most likely a watch. Gift him with a quality, good watch that will last him for a long time. You can get help figuring out which kind to buy at a department store like Macy’s or Nordstrom’s or jewelry store that sells watches. Stick to something within your budget because even though it’s just a watch, these things can run up some big costs, depending on what brand you choose (Rolex anyone?).

If you are thinking of an expensive watch, since he got you an expensive ring then here are some popular brands: Rolex, Timex, Swiss Army, TAG Heuer, Omega, and Cartier or Breitling. Is your man more rugged and outdoorsy or an athlete? Try Casio or Citizen. There is a watch out there for any type of man so go shopping around.

To make it special, add an engraving to the back of the watch.

Video Game or Equipment

Guys love video or computer games. They will sit there happily with a controller or keyboard in hand and spend hours battling some pretend monster, happy to be the ultimate hero wielding a sword or shooting a gun that most times they don’t really own in “real life”. Get him the perfect gift for the gamer that he is. Get the newest console, or the newest game like the highly anticipated Halo 4 on the limited edition Xbox 360. Or get the Kinect and then you can eventually use it as well to play some non-shooter game when you both move in together as husband and wife.

Tech Gadgets

What man doesn’t love tech gadgets? And with an array of them out there from tablets, smart phones, TV, computers, computer stuff, and even cameras, you’ll have a great chance of finding something your man will love. Is he a devoted reader? Get him an ereader like the Kindle or iPad. You can get the iPad engraved as a special touch. Does he dabble in photography? Try a great brand like Canon. Do your research online or visit a store like Best Buy or GameStop to check out what’s there.

Sports Fanatic

Sports equipment and gear can be expensive and most likely there is one that your man has been eyeing out and been saving to buy, like a set of special golf clubs. Know your man’s interest and get something that will help him improve his game. If he loves tennis, invest in getting him the racket one he’s been dreaming of. Does he play basketball? How about those pricey shoes he’s been looking at for a while now but haven’t made the plunge to buy? Maybe he likes to collect sports memorabilia or even a pair of tickets to his favorite team’s regular season game would be an amazing gift for him. For football fans, add to his collection of jerseys so he can represent his team wherever he goes.

Grill King

Most men like to believe that they are the kings of the grill. If he’s cooking, it’s a great thing for you, especially if he really is good at it! Encourage your husband-to-be to keep practicing in the kitchen or on the grill by getting him some tools he really needs like a grill set. Personalize it by having it monogrammed or adding a monogrammed apron to the set if it doesn’t come with it already. This is a great gift for your fiancée who will really feel like the king of the grill with the right tools at his disposal.

If you are still unsure of a great gift for your fiancée, try taking him out to a special dinner or do an activity you both will enjoy together like a weekend getaway. You can also get him a bottle of his favorite wine or liquor that you can incorporate into a signature cocktail for your wedding.

When narrowing down the choices of gifts you can get your fiancée just remember the thing that will make him happy and get something he can use for a long time. Personalize it to make him feel special and don’t stress about it too much, remember, you still have to get him a wedding gift also. Happy shopping!

A winter wonderland wedding is not usually the preferred choice of wedding themes. Popular wedding dates happen in the spring and summer because these are the seasons that symbolize new beginnings or just mean there is a chance of better weather for the major event. Weather is a big deal in planning a wedding. But winter weddings can be as spectacular as weddings taking place any other time of the year.
Some may think the color palette used for a winter wedding to be limited, but white on white can actually produce a stunning effect when used right. White isn’t the only color used in weddings. There is an array of rich bold colors that go well in planning a winter wedding. There are many ways to make a winter wedding amazingly beautiful as any other wedding taking place in the other seasons. It takes some creative thinking to use items not readily available in the major wedding seasons of spring and summer but it can be done!

Here are some great winter wedding ideas!

Snowflakes

Snowflakes are all about winter and are intricate in design. They are the perfect design to be used in a winter wedding. The snowflake design can be used on invitations, centerpieces, favors, menus, the cake, linen and even in the flower bouquets. It’s important not too go overboard when placing the snowflakes but a little can go a long way.

Ornaments

That’s right, the thing you hang on a Christmas tree. You can use ornaments in a bowl for a centerpiece. They can be used as escort cards holders. They also make awesome wedding favors that guests can use year after year on their Christmas trees. Choose ornament colors that match your wedding and buy them in bulk at the store. How sweet! It’s important to use what you have around you, so think out of the box when planning a winter wedding.

Color Palettes

Most people think of the winter color palette as white and ice blue, but there are more colors to choose from. Think Christmas and it opens a floodgate of color combinations but don’t mistake Christmas for winter. Using too many holiday items will make your wedding look festive like Christmas, but not necessarily give you a feeling for winter. You can do red and gold, silver and gold, all shades of blue, black and yes, even a deep purple. Any color can be worked into a wedding palette, you just have to find the right items that work well together.

Let it Snow!

Usually, wedding photos are taken with gorgeous scenery, such as a setting sun or waves in the background. Sometimes the photos are lush with colors from the environment but what about winter wedding photos? There is something wildly romantic about wedding photos in the snow or in a stark winter landscape. Maybe it’s the frosted trees or the white dress in an all white background, but snow and winter lends a fantasy feel to wedding photos unparalleled with pictures taken in any other season.

Flowers

There are flowers that still bloom in the winter, even though a large variety of the popular flowers are more available and affordable in the spring and summer seasons. But one way to make winter floral arrangements more affordable is to look for items that are more available in the winter and use them in ways you never thought they could be used for! Think of pinecones and berries because even though they are not flowers, they can still be used for stunning arrangements.

Tree Branches

Bring the outside inside by decorating your indoor winter wedding venue with tall branches frosted white and topped with twinkling lights. The branches can be used to line the ceremony aisle or be a backdrop. They can also be used as centerpiece ideas dripping with crystal to represent icicles.

Favors

Come to think of it, there are many fabulous favors you can give guests as favors for a winter wedding. You can hand out scarves or giveaway ingredients in a jar to make lovely winter beverages like hot cocoa. Even a pack of tea bags can be a warm gesture.

Food

Speaking of warm gestures, how about adding some holiday favorites to the winter wedding menu such as hot chocolate, egg nog or hot mulled apple cider. Not only will it taste delicious and fit well with the wedding theme, your guests will appreciate something hot to keep them comfortable during a winter wedding. This is where you can also add a Smores dessert station or some fresh baked apple pie. There is a lot you can do with a winter wedding food menu, so do your research.

Winter wedding planning can come with it’s own set of challenges, say some really harsh weather conditions. But if you can tough it out there are some really fantastic ideas out there for planning a beautiful winter wedding.

Being a bride means looking your absolute best on your wedding day. The hair must be gorgeous and in place. Your skin should be glowing. The wedding dress and shoes should be fabulous and the fingernails and toenails need to be painted to perfection!
Nail art has evolved over the years to really embody the word ‘art’. There are different kinds of nail polish, a variety of gorgeous colors to choose from and embellishments like glitter or Swarovski crystals to add to the nails. Nail technicians are expert painters on a very small surface to work with, which makes their art even extra special.
Depending on a bride’s personality or wedding theme, the art on a bride’s nails can range from being really extravagant or it could be really simple. Some women love to embellish, others really do prefer a pale hue on their nails.
Most brides and their bridesmaids choose to do a mani and pedi day at the nail salon or spa before the wedding day. It’s their time to bond and have some fun before the chaos that happens on the wedding day itself. Sometimes brides will want to have her bridesmaids have the same nail design for a unified look. Some brides will not care what their bridesmaids choose to wear on their nails. It just all depends on the bride.
Let’s look at some popular wedding nail designs!

French Manicure

Tried and true, the French manicure is the classic wedding nail design. A French manicure’s iconic look is a painted white thin strip at the top of the nail. It is still a favorite of brides because it is an elegant and understated design. Today there are many ways to play up a French manicure. You can choose different colors for the thin strip including metallic colors, pastels, glitter or rhinestones. You can even use foil. There should be a nice contrast between the first nail polish coat and the thin strip. Play it up and be creative!

Simply Elegant

A fabulous way to add just a little twist to a bridal manicure or pedicure is to add nail art on just one or two nails. A very sweet design is to add a design of a ring band on the left hand ring finger nail. If you aren’t someone who likes too much nail art this may be the perfect look for you! The symbolism is obvious and it is very elegant.

Match the Shoes

If you are going to have all the bridesmaid have the same color and designs on their nails for the wedding, then why not have them match the color to their shoes (but of course the shoes should all be the same as well). You can just use a plain color to polish the nails or take an element of design from the shoe to incorporate into the nail design as well. This is great way to add a pop of color. Try a bold pink or red for the fingernails or toes, or both and have some fun!

Pretty in Pastels

Don’t want to do much with your nails? Then pick a neutral color or a very delicate pastel color that won’t distract from the look of your wedding day ensemble. You can’t go wrong with a lovely shade of nude or light pink. As the saying goes, ‘less is more’.

If you are a girl who never gets her nails done and is adamant about not having them painted, you should still go to get a manicure and pedicure. A manicure will leave your hands feeling fabulous and a nail technician can trim your nails and clean up any cuticles or hang nails that look unsightly. Remember, photos will be taken of you on your wedding day. Some of those photos will be close ups of your hands holding the bouquet, rings or your husband’s hand.

You can always choose a clear top coat polish to paint over your natural nails. This way you can still look fabulous even though you choose to go au natural.

Rhinestones

Rhinestones can be added to your toenails or fingernails and the result can be amazing. In order not to over do it on the rhinestones, pick a certain toe, like the big toe to display the rhinestones. Or, pick the ring finger to add some sparkle. If you want every finger to shine, pick a neutral base color for the polish.

Acrylic Nails

Acrylic nails are definitely for the girl who can wear long nails and loves to wear them. Acrylic nails glued onto the natural nail. Women can choose their desired length, usually it’s made to be longer than the natural nail length. Once applied, the nail technician can do many things with the nails. They can add polish, glitter, rhinestones, and even charms. They can also be airbrushed with a design. This look is for the bride who is not afraid to go bold.

Though it is glued to the natural nail, any amount of vigorous physical activity can break the acrylic nail off or rhinestones can be knocked out. Once you have the acrylic nails on, take it easy and don’t ruin them before the big wedding day!

There is so much that goes into a wedding, sometimes you can forget the small details such as the card box. The card box is created for your guests to be able to drop off their congratulatory wedding cards on your big day. But who would want just a plain old box when they can decorate it to fit their theme! Here are a few unique card boxes that we have seen, we hope that some of them spark your interest.

Bird Cage

Since birds are trending in 2013, it is no surprise that a bird cage would make their way into card box designs.

House

A house is not a home until there is love and happiness in it. Good thing that weddings are full of both!

Log/Tree Stump

This one is great if your wedding has a nature/outdoors theme.

Mailbox

Inspired by the Pixar film “Up”? Make your card box a mail box and decorate it however you see fit!

Suitcase

This one is perfect for a destination themed wedding.

Treasure Chest

The best kind of gifts are hidden, in a treasure chest perhaps!

Wedding Cake

Whether you have a wedding cake or not, this will make for a very cute card box, but make sure you don’t mistake it for the edible wedding cake!